BS-4783-5-1991.pdf

BRITISH STANDARD BS 4783-5: 1991 Storage, transportation and maintenance of media for use in data processing and information storage Part 5: Recommendations for 12.7 mm magnetic tape cartridges for data interchange, recording at 1491 data bytes per millimetre on 18 tracks Licensed Copy: sheffieldun sheffieldun, na, Fri Dec 01 02:01:19 GMT+00:00 2006, Uncontrolled Copy, (c) BSI BS 4783-5:1991 This British Standard, having been prepared under the direction of the Information Systems Technology Standards Policy Committee, was published under the authority of the Standards Board and comes into effect on 30 September 1991 © BSI 06-1999 The following BSI references relate to the work on this standard: Committee reference IST/4 Draft for comment 90/65861 DC ISBN 0 580 20101 5 Committees responsible for this British Standard The preparation of this British Standard was entrusted by the Information Systems Technology Standards Policy Committee (IST/-) to Technical Committee IST/4, upon which the following bodies were represented: British Computer Society British Photographic Association EEA (the Association of Electronics, Telecommunications and Business Equipment Industries) HM Customs and Excise Her Majestys Stationery Office Institute of Administrative Management Institution of Electrical Engineers Amendments issued since publication Amd. No.DateComments Licensed Copy: sheffieldun sheffieldun, na, Fri Dec 01 02:01:19 GMT+00:00 2006, Uncontrolled Copy, (c) BSI BS 4783-5:1991 © BSI 06-1999i Contents Page Committees responsibleInside front cover Forewordii 1Scope1 2Definitions1 3Tape library1 4Control procedures for incoming cartridges2 5Storage3 6Handling3 7Cleaning and maintenance5 8Identification and correction of faults5 9Transportation6 Appendix A Recommended goods inwards and inspection procedures7 Figure 1 Example of a cartridge record4 Table 1 Conditions for the storage environment3 Table 2 Maximum limits for the transportation environment6 Publication(s) referred toInside back cover Licensed Copy: sheffieldun sheffieldun, na, Fri Dec 01 02:01:19 GMT+00:00 2006, Uncontrolled Copy, (c) BSI BS 4783-5:1991 ii © BSI 06-1999 Foreword This Part of BS 4783 has been prepared under the direction of the Information Systems Technology Standards Policy Committee. It has been developed from advice and information provided by Government computing departments, magnetic media suppliers and manufacturers, users and specialist tape maintenance organizations. The use of high-grade materials and modern production techniques, that include rigorous testing and inspection, ensures that magnetic tape cartridges are manufactured to exacting standards. To continue to benefit from the care taken during manufacture, and to ensure optimum performance from a product during its life, the user should exercise care, and this British Standard gives appropriate advice. Manufacturers publications often cover some of the advice given herein and, where available, should be read in conjunction with this standard. The following Parts of BS 4783 have already been published: Part 1: Recommendations for disk packs, storage modules and disk cartridges; Part 2: Recommendations for magnetic tape on open spools; Part 3: Recommendations for flexible disk cartridges; Part 4: Recommendations for magnetic tape cartridges and cassettes. The following British Standards are relevant to 12.7 mm magnetic tape cartridges. BS 6266, Code of practice for fire protection for electronic data processing installations. BS 7062, Guide to construction and use of 12.7 mm (0.5 in) wide magnetic tape cartridges for data interchange, recording at 1491 data bytes per millimetre (37871 data bytes per inch), on 18 tracks. BS 7083, Recommendations for the accommodation and operating environment of computer equipment. A British Standard does not purport to include all the necessary provisions of a contract. Users of British Standards are responsible for their correct application. Compliance with a British Standard does not of itself confer immunity from legal obligations. Summary of pages This document comprises a front cover, an inside front cover, pages i and ii, pages 1 to 8, an inside back cover and a back cover. This standard has been updated (see copyright date) and may have had amendments incorporated. This will be indicated in the amendment table on the inside front cover. Licensed Copy: sheffieldun sheffieldun, na, Fri Dec 01 02:01:19 GMT+00:00 2006, Uncontrolled Copy, (c) BSI BS 4783-5:1991 © BSI 06-19991 1 Scope This Part of BS 4783 provides recommendations on the care and maintenance of 12.7 mm magnetic tape cartridges. It includes recommendations for storage, handling, transportation, inspection, cleaning, maintenance and fault identification. NOTEThe titles of the publications referred to in this standard are listed on the inside back cover. 2 Definitions For the purposes of this Part of BS 4783 the following definitions apply. 2.1 base film substrate material of the tape that supports the coating 2.2 cartridge container holding a supply reel of magnetic tape with an attached leader block 2.3 cartridge cleaner device designed to clean both surfaces of the tape within the cartridge 2.4 cartridge evaluator device that evaluates the physical and magnetic quality of the tape within the cartridge 2.5 coating recording layer of a tape consisting of oxide particles held in a binder that is applied to the base film 2.6 contamination foreign deposits that may lead to degradation of performance 2.7 error failure to read correctly a bit of information 2.8 extreme environment environmental conditions outside the limits recommended in this Part of BS 4783 2.9 library designated storage area for media and associated equipment 2.10 magnetic tape tape that will accept and retain the magnetic signals intended for input, output and storage purposes on computer and associated equipment 2.11 retries a number of re-read attempts determined by the type of system 2.12 tape transport mechanism that extracts tape from the cartridge, moves it across magnetic heads at a controlled speed and then feeds it into another cartridge 2.13 write inhibit mechanism with a rotatable or slidable element that displays a visible mark, e.g. a white spot, when write is inhibited 3 Tape library 3.1 General Cartridges should be suitably stored, e.g. in specially designed racks or storage boxes, and their use should be monitored by means of a central facility. Stationery should not be stored within the library. Cardboard containers should not enter the library. Chemicals and other materials stored in the library should be restricted to those required for day-to-day maintenance. NOTEAlso see the recommendations for storage environment in 5.1. 3.2 Personnel Personnel should be trained in their responsibility for the condition, care and handling of cartridges in order to improve and maintain the proper functioning of any library. Ideally, an individual should be designated as the Librarian with overall responsibility for day-to-day maintenance and control. 3.3 Equipment The maintenance equipment available at a computer installation will be inevitably governed by the library size and comparative cost effectiveness. Site policy should clearly indicate who is responsible for the provision of resources and equipment such as cartridge evaluators and cleaners, consumables (cleaning cartridges), e.g. the equipment engineers or operational staff. Licensed Copy: sheffieldun sheffieldun, na, Fri Dec 01 02:01:19 GMT+00:00 2006, Uncontrolled Copy, (c) BSI BS 4783-5:1991 2 © BSI 06-1999 3.4 Security, safety and cleaning Access to the library and computer areas should be controlled and restricted to essential personnel, both to keep down the amount of dust and dirt and to maintain security. Items that may be hazardous (e.g. tape transport cleaning fluids) should be identified with a suitable warning label and should be kept in a locked cabinet when not in use. The library should be kept clean and there should be no eating, drinking or smoking in this area because of the risk of tape contamination. All personnel should wear clothing that is anti-static and does not shed fibres. Some personal cosmetics including hand creams, nail varnish and face powders may lead to contamination and their use should be avoided. The materials, equipment and methods used by cleaners in computer rooms and magnetic media libraries should be approved by the equipment suppliers or manufacturers. Library and computer areas should not be allowed to become contaminated and preventative cleaning, using a disciplined schedule, should be implemented. A smart, clean working environment is often an outward sign of an effective unit and may positively assist employee morale. 4 Control procedures for incoming cartridges 4.1 Incoming inspection On receipt of new or interchange cartridges, the recommended inspection procedures described in Appendix A should be followed. Any cartridge delivered in a damaged carton should be set aside for immediate reference to the consignor in case the consignor needs to make a claim against the carrier. The high standards of dust filtration and cleanliness used during manufacture normally ensure that newly delivered cartridges do not require cleaning prior to use. However, a preliminary inspection by the user is considered essential and, if contamination is suspected, a site engineer or media supplier, or both, should be asked for advice. 4.2 Records When any cartridge is brought into the library area, a record should be created or updated, as in the example shown in Figure 1. The record should contain information relating to usage, cleaning, inspection and certification. This information should be used to determine maintenance requirements and end of economic life. 4.3 Acclimatization Except in extreme environmental conditions, it is permissible to bring a cartridge straight into the library after unpacking. However, the cartridge should be adequately acclimatized before it is brought into service. The period required for full acclimatization depends on the following: a) the time that the cartridge has been outside the operational limits (see Table 1); b) the extremes of temperature and humidity to which the cartridge has been subjected during shipment, albeit in its transit carton. Ideally, cartridges should be acclimatized for at least 24 h before use. However, as a general guide all cartridges should be acclimatized for a minimum of 6 h in the same environment as that in which the tape transport is operating. If full acclimatization is not allowed, error conditions may occur that would otherwise not be present had the tape been fully acclimatized to the computer room environment. Where extreme environmental conditions exist, with temperatures and/or humidity outside those recommended for storage, see Table 1, cartridges should be subjected to at least 24 h acclimatization in the recommended storage environment before removal from the transit carton. Failure to do this may result in condensation forming on the tape surfaces with associated risk to performance. 4.4 Labelling Before application to the cartridge, identity labels should be written using a permanent ink pen. Graphite pencils or felt-tipped pens with water-soluble ink should not be used. Labels should be securely affixed to the label area on the top surface of the cartridges. The whole area of the label should be in contact with the cartridge. Where a semi-permanent label is required, the adhesive should be of such a type that, when the label is removed, negligible residue remains. Before applying new labels, old labels should be removed if information is to be changed. Information should not be erased from labels while they are attached to cartridges. 4.5 Equalization of tape tension As cartridges may have been wound at different tensions, or have internal stress, they should receive a full length forward and rewind cycle on the tape transport before first usage. NOTEDegraded performance may occur if this recommendation is not followed. Where a cartridge cleaner is available, the full length forward and rewind cycle should be performed on it. Licensed Copy: sheffieldun sheffieldun, na, Fri Dec 01 02:01:19 GMT+00:00 2006, Uncontrolled Copy, (c) BSI BS 4783-5:1991 © BSI 06-19993 Table 1 Conditions for the storage environment 5 Storage 5.1 Storage environment Monitoring devices for temperature and humidity should be installed in critical areas and should be independent of mains power supply. Cartridges should not be kept in an environment where rapid changes of temperature and/or humidity may occur, e.g. near humidifier/de-humidifier units. Exposure to direct sunlight or to intense magnetic fields from large electrical devices, magnets and lightning conductors may cause permanent damage to cartridges or recorded data or both and these should be avoided. The ambient stray magnetic-field intensity should not exceed 4 000 A/m. The library should have the same as or very similar environmental conditions to those of the computer room. The environmental conditions should be either those recommended by the cartridge manufacturers or as given in Table 1. 5.2 Protection When not in use, cartridges should be suitably stored in specially designed racks or in storage boxes. For extra security, cartridges should be stored within metal, fire-resistant cabinets with lockable doors. 5.3 Long term storage Long term storage is any period greater than 6 months. Long term storage of information is permissible provided that the cartridge used is of good quality and is adequately protected during the period of storage. To ensure that the information survives storage, for any period greater than 6 months, the recommendations given in 5.1 and 5.2 should be adopted. Cartridges selected for long term storage should be free of all the physical defects listed in A.3.1. A balance should be struck between the routine maintenance and the undue disturbance of a stored cartridge. The following procedures are therefore recommended: a) select a clean and tested cartridge; b) write, unload and write-inhibit the cartridge; c) confirm that the cartridge has been successfully read and unload; d) tension the cartridge by performing a full length forward and unload cycle; e) store the cartridge at least 80 mm away from any permanent magnet or from any other source of magnetic field; f) read and copy the cartridge onto another cartridge every 12 months in order to avoid the retention for a period of years of a cartridge that has been accidently damaged or erased by an external source; g) after copying a cartridge, perform steps c), d) and e) for the new copy. 6 Handling 6.1 Cartridges should be used only on equipment that is cleaned and maintained in accordance with the recommended cleaning and maintenance procedures. 6.2 Before use, cartridges should be inspected for damage, e.g. broken leader